Originally published January 6, 1944
DAMAGE estimated at 50,000 pounds was caused when first gutted the premises of Shilliday Bros’ general store, at the corner of Langtree Avenue and Eighth Street in 1944.
While thousands of residents looked on, every available fireman and many volunteers fought for four hours to bring under control the most disastrous fire to date.
Except for small sections of the manchester and grocery departments and the furniture department which escaped damage, the store’s huge stock, including an enormous emergency food reserve, was destroyed.
At one stage, when petrol and other highly flammable stocks ignited, it was only the heroic efforts of the firemen that prevented the blaze from sweeping the entire block of shops between Eighth and Ninth Streets.
Although the Mildura Fire Bridge was on the scene in a matter of moments, it was apparent even then that their task of saving the building was hopeless.
A large column of smoke was then seen rising 1000 feet or more into the sky, and through the plate glass doors, flames could be seen engulfing the main portion of the interior.
Almost 2000 feet of hose was used to combat the fire from several points, and the firemen took grave risks in an effort to reach the seat of the fire.
Within a few feet of an inferno of blazing fuel, and almost hidden in dense clouds of overpowering fumes, the firemen never budged an inch in their efforts to control the flames.
Exploding ammunition added to their danger, while the brick wall beneath which they were standing threatened to collapse as supporting timber and iron girders withered under the intense heat.
War-time rationing was already in place on many goods and was to come in on more, including meat rationing.
The loss of massive stocks Shillidays always kept in reserve was therefore even more crippling.
Shillidays printed a map on February 18, 1944, of the temporary shops in Mildura that they would use until they can rebuild after the fire.
Myer-Shillidays closed its doors for the last time in January 1987 after having operated in Mildura for almost a century.
A year after the Chaffey brothers established Mildura, John H. Shilliday had began a retail business in Madden Avenue before moving to the new location.
